Kaolin particle film mitigates supra-optimal temperature stress effects at leaf scale and increases bean size and productivity of Coffea canephora

Summary In young plants of Coffea canephora, fine particle film based on calcined kaolin (KF) causes a decrease in leaf temperature (Tleaf), minimizing the damages to the photochemical apparatus, especially in summer season, but no report about the ecophysiological responses to KF over phenology is available on this species. We hypothesized that greater ecophysiological effects of KF would occur during the summer phenophase of leaf area and berry expansion (BE) compared with autumn berry maturation phase (BR), and that those benefits will have impact on bean productivity and physical quality. In this sense, the present study aimed to analyze the effects of KF on some ecophysiological parameters in the last phenophases of C. canephora biennial cycle, bean productivity, and bean size classification. During the complete phenological cycle, eight applications of KF were performed, totaling 80 kg of KF ha−1 in two years. KF applications and ecophysiological measurements occurred during the BE and BR phenophases. Firstly, we documented temporal dynamics in responses of field-grown C. canephora adult plants to KF application. KF reduced Tleaf and crop water stress index and increased the thermal index of relative stomatal conductance and relative chlorophyll content (SPAD index) observed in the autumn BR (opposite to young plants). The positive impact of KF on chlorophyll a fluorescence was proportionally similar among the observed phenophases. Secondly, KF increased bean size 16 by 50% and increased total productivity. The plants treated with KF increased productivity by 1.7 t ha− commercially useful bean mass compared to the control. The kaolin dose of 40 kg ha−1 distributed four times per year was highly effective as a protection strategy against high-light and elevated Tair.